Nintendo third party games have had an interesting, and rather pathetic history. But it could be on the rebound.de Blob is a Wii game from developer Blue Tongue that is making quite a splash. The idea was conceived by some game development students in the Netherlands and spotted by THQ. Now the fully fleshed out platformer is making its gooey debut on both Wii and DS consoles.
The evil I.N.K.T Corporation has sucked the color out of the once vibrant city of Chroma. Now its population is being captured and, dare I say, some former musicians are being made accountants! Well of course, enter the (de) Blob. He’s slow, overweight, and likes to eat paint, but he’s the man to save this city from a cruel, monochromatic death.
The gameplay is simple. Players use the analog on the nunchuck to roll the Blob around the city, painting the white and gray buildings full of color. While you may wonder why you don’t use the tilt functionality to roll, the analog provides a much tighter and more responsive feel to the game. To jump requires a fling downwards with the Wii remote, and similarly to attack, players swing down.
I found the controls to leave me wanting more. The downwards motion is not sensitive enough and somewhat unresponsive. But I also wanted more unique Wii features for this game, like IR functionality in-game or some tilt or motion functionality. I also expected there to be some drawing games using the IR in the game (it is a game about coloring and paint mixing). There were a lot of missed opportunities there.
But for the system it’s on, de Blob is a star. The visuals look fantastic and are rendered nearly on the same quality as Nintendo 1st party titles, like Super Mario Galaxy. The style is also magnificent, oozing cool on every level. I only wish there was a tad more variety in the levels, and less of the same urban blocks. Most importantly, however, is the music, and it makes this game. As you roll around, painting buildings, the music layers itself based on the paint your using. Maybe one level starts out with a dull beat. As soon as you grab some paint and splash it on a building, a keyboard or saxophone will riff in time. When you have a whole block or city painted, there will be a jazz or funk rhythm driving in the background. Between audio and visuals, you will have a great feeling playing the de Blob.
The levels consist of you racing against a fairly lenient time limit to cover a good partition of the city in color. Other challenges appear on the way, like to race to a building top in 30 seconds or mix colors on a certain block, but those are optional. Other than that, and some bosses along the way, de Blob rarely challenges you or provides enough engaging gameplay for my tastes. I loved painting the city and jumping across buildings (and watching the world come to life is beautiful) but that mechanic alone wasn’t enough to get me for the long-term. I wanted more creative outlets for this game, like the ability to customize paint styles, or more challenging paint-mixing puzzles.
De Blob is a fantastic, and surprisingly polished, 3rd party Wii game. The game has a great sense of humor and the cut scenes are often hilarious, nearly on par with any recent movie animation. But what keeps this game from true greatness is the lack of depth and challenge in the gameplay. I had fun playing it and enjoyed the visuals and music, but when I put it down I really didn’t feel strongly compelled to pick it back up again. I also think that the developers, in an effort to shoehorn in Wii motion controllers, mishandled the Wii’s basic functionality. They could have made better puzzles with reliable IR and tilt motion. Similarly, I think the time limits imposed on each level give the game an artificial challenge. It’s the start of a great franchise, however, and one that I hope will continue in other iterations.
| Review Scoring Details for de Blob |
Gameplay: 7.0
The platforming mechanics are solid and coloring buildings is extremely relaxing and enjoyable. But the weakest part of de Blob is the lack of variety and challenge in the levels. It’s just not engaging enough.
Graphics: 9.5
A beautiful style and amazing (for the Wii) physics and particle effects. The game has a clean, polished look that is rarely beaten by Nintendo 1st party games these days.
Sound: 10
As you color buildings, music gradually layers into the score. And the instrument that comes in depends on the color you’re using. It’s truly a reason to play the game.
Difficulty: Easy
The game is perfect for younger players.
Concept: 9
de Blob started as a great idea and really came out as a highly polished platformer.
Multiplayer: 7.5
Lack of online play is a downside for replay value. The local multiplayer games are fun, however.
Overall: 7.8
de Blob is a fantastic experience, but one that I wish had more depth and challenge. I think this is the start of a great franchise (game, toys, or TV show) and one that will surely improve in its next iteration.
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